Muscari problem

[annew]

These are some new muscari from Janis Ruksans which have got me puzzled. There seem to be two different species in the pot (one a crocus?), and even worse the broad leaved one seemes to have virus striping. Did anyone else buy some Muscari species nova 'Sky Blue' last year and if so do yours look the same? The Muscari species nova 'White-rose Beauty' bought at the same time are also stripy, so maybe they're supposed to be.

[Maggi Young]

Anne, that looks very like virus to me.  Pity, too, to buy Muscari and get Crocus! Crocus look okay though, perhaps you should ditch the muscari and quarantinethe crocus... who knows what gems they may be?
ON second thought...  odd that you didn't spot the odd bulbs when you planted them?

[annew]

Very odd, I think I would have noticed 

[Maggi Young]

Well, yes, Anne, you of all people ....not as if you haven't grown a few bulbls in your time, eh?
 Mind you, when you're in a rush, sometimes you can be working on auto-pilot... could be doing anything really

[dominique]

Ann,
I think other bulbs are not Crocus but Ornithogalum, perhaps of an interesting species. I don't know for virus

[Thomas Huber]

Anne, I agree with Dom, these leaves look like Ornithogalum!
I'm sure you might have noticed a crocus corm when you planted them!

[Maggi Young]

Thomas, Dom, yes, that is a better explanation. When I look again now, paying more attention to the "other" leaves" than to the "virus" as before, I see that what I took to be crocus leaves... quick look, see white central stripe, jump to conclusions......those little clumps of leaves are not crocus like at all!

[annew]

Phew! I'm not going completely barmy then! I'm surprised that Janis would have got them mixed though - Did nobody else buy some?

[Ezeiza]

Hi:

    Lots of Muscaris cultivars have virus, and of the kind that is easily spread to other families of bulbs.

    Chances that the accompanying Ornithogalums in the pot will remain healthy are remote but at least they would with lots of luck cleaned from seed.

     Not so with the Muscari cultivar as seedlings will not be true to name.

     We have not grown commercial stock muscaris for years after several nasty surprises. Only species and from seed.

Regards

[Susan Band]

I bought them a few years ago, but the leaves are not long enough to look and see if there is virus. I take it there are the same number of bulbs as you bought and the ornithogalums haven't come in on the potting soil.

[annew]

No, the number of bulbs is right. I think I'll play safe and bin the lot.

[biodiversite]

My own Muscari problem : this species was sold as M. parviflorum, with autumn flowering, but each year it is flowering at the beginning of March. It's really a fine species, with fantastic colors bad done by the photo, but I would be happy to name it correctly...

[gote]

Anne,
Have you asked Janis?
He is trying to keep the virus at bay and might have a useful comment.
If yes, please let us have it too.
I have bought white rose beauty but not noticed any striping.
Even if it is not common, we sometimes have stripes for other reasons than virus.
Göte